Belt tightener and guide.



No. 665,82. f Patanted lam I, 19m. c. n. REmcK.

BELT TIGHTENEB AND GUIDE.

(Application filed may 21, 190Q.)

(No Model.) 3 Shoots-Sheet I.

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@76 mum THE uonms PETERS co. vuoralumov. WASHINGTON n. c.

No. 665,l32. Patented Jan. I, 190i.

0. H. REMICK. BELT TIGHTEN'ER AND sums.

(Application filed May 21, 1900. (No Modal.) 3 Sheets-Sheet 2,

c. H. REMICK.

BE LT TIGHTENER AND GUIDE.

(Application filed. May 21,)900. (No Model.) 3 Sheets-8heet 3.

Patented Jan. I, I901.

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fl gZT Z' E 0014M WM rm: uonms PETERS c0. FNUYO-UTNQJWASNINOTDN, D, c.

Nrrn ST -ATENT OFFICE.

CHARLES H. REMIOK, OF DASSEL, MINNESOTA.

BELT TIGHTENER AND GUIDE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 665,132, dated January 1, 1901.

Application filed May 21, 1900. Serial No. 17,345- (No model.)

To on whom zit may concern:

Be it known that I, CHARLES H. REMICK, a

citizen of the United States, residing at Das- .and to this end it consists of the novel devices and combinations of devices hereinafter described, and defined in the claims.

The invent-ion is illustrated in'the accompanying drawings,wherein like characters indicate like parts throughout the several views.

Figure 1 is a View in side elevation, showing the cylinder end of a thresher-machine with my improved belt guide and reel applied in working position thereon. Fig.2 is an enlarged view in side elevation, showing the device in working position as a belt-guide. Fig. 3 is a view, partlyin front elevation and partly in section, on the line :0 00 of Fig. 2. Fig. 4 is a plan view of a portion of the guide pulley or drum. Fig. 5 is a side elevation of the parts shown in Fig. 4. Fig. 6 is a plan View of the device, some parts being broken away; and Fig. 7 is a detail in central longitudinal section, some parts being broken away, showing a portion of the pulley and the so-called belt-clamping bracket.

My improved device is especially designed for use in connection with threshing-machines or separators wherein the threshing-cylinder is usually driven by a long and heavy belt from a distant engine. The side winds on these belts put upon the belts great lateral strains, tending to force them from the cylinder-pulleys over which they run and also making the transmission of the power difiicult. A belt tightener and guide is for this reason desirable in the Vicinity'of the cylinder-pulley.

When the cylinder and engine are moved from place to place, the belt is of course removed, and hence it is desirable to have a suitable reel upon which to wind the belt. In accordance with my invent-ion I so construct and arrange the belt-guiding device or tightener that it may be used as a reel upon which to Wind the driving-belt.

Other novel features of construction will appear in the following detail description.

The numeral 1 indicates the body or case of an ordinary threshing-machine or separator, and the numeral 2 indicates the pulley on the shaft 3 of the threshing-cylinder. The numeral 4 indicates the driving-belt.

Of the parts of myimproved device the letter a indicates a strong and heavy yoke with upturned prongs, the lower transverse portion of which is pivoted or hinged to a transverse beam or timber 5 of the case 1 by means of a keeper -'plate I), which, as shown, is slightly adjustable transversely of the machine, being provided with slots b,through which la -screws or bolts 19 are passed and screwed into the beam 5. One prong of the yoke a is provided with a leg a, the free end of which is adapted to strike the forward end of the machine-case 1 to limit the downward movement of the said yoke, as shown by dotted lines in Fig. 1. One prong of the yoke a is terminated at its upper end in a bearing a while the upper end of the other prong is terminated in a half box or hearing ad, with which cooperates a detachable and adjustable half-box a having elongated slots a through which and flanges of the bearing a short nutted bolts a are passed to secure the said sections together. A shaft 0 is loosely mounted in the bearings a a and a and secured on this shaft 0, between the prongs of the yoke a, is a pulley or guide-drum f, that is formed in sections that telescope at f topermit the Width of the said pulley or drum to be varied. One section of the pulley f is shown as keyed to the shaft 0, while the other section thereof is adjustably secured to the said shaft by means of a set-screw f which may be tightened and loosened by a suitable instrument passed through the perforation f in the adjustable pulley-section.

To the top of the bearing a and to the top of the adjustable half-bearing a are secured vertical trunnions or studs g, on which guiderollers g are loosely'mounted in position to engage the edge of the driving-belt 4 as it passes over the pulley f. Above the guiderollers g the trunnions g are reduced, and on these reduced ends the ends of a tie-bar g are secured by nuts g or otherwise. At one end the tie-bar g is pivoted on one trunnion g, and at its other end it is provided with an open seat g, which straddles the upper end of the cooperating trunnion and permits the bar g to be swung from an operative into an inoperative position, and vice versa.

g indicates oil-cups secured on the upper ends of the trnnnions g and delivering oil to the rollers g through guide-channels g in said trunnions.

At one end the shaft 0 is formed with an angular shank c, to which a hand-crank c is detachably applied, for use when the device is utilized as a windlass.

To secure the belt on the pulley or drum f, so that it may be wound up, a clamping device is employed, which, as shown, is in the form of an Lshaped bracket 76, one arm of which is slotted at 7c and mounted to work in a radial seat in one end of the pnlleyf, as best shown in Figs. 4 and 5. A short stud 76 having a thumb'nut it projects from the end of the pulley and works through the slot 7: of the clamping-bracket 7a. hen the bracket is out of use, the clamping end of the same fits flush in the seat formed in the periphery of the pulley f. To clamp the belt to the pulley, the clamping end of the belt-clamping bracket 71; is projected, so that the belt will be passed between the same and the face of the pulley, as shown in Fig. 5.

To hold the device in position for action as a belt-tightener, a strong hook m is pivoted to one arm of the yoke a, with its free end engageable with an eye on of suitable form, suitably secured .to the case or frame 1 of the separator. The device being applied in workin position on the belt, as shown by full lines in Fig. 1, the belt is given a greatly-increased frictional contact with the cylinder-pulley 2, so that the driving power of the belt is greatly increased. The engagement of the pulley f with the belt also holds that portion of the belt which is about to run on the cylinderpulley 2 perfectly flat, while the guide-rollers g prevent lateral movements of the belt at that point, and thereby guide the same properly onto the said cylinder-pulley. The tiebar g not only strengthens or braces the yoke a, but prevents the belt from jumping ,or twisting in the vicinity of the pulley f.

The device is adjustable to diiterent belts varying considerably in width. For a wider belt than the one for which the device is shown as set the adjustable halt-bearing a is moved outward and the sections of the pulley f are drawn telescopically farther separated. The tie-bar g might also be adjustable; but in most cases I propose to supply a tie-bar of the proper length for the particular belt.

When the device is used as a reel, it is dropped down into the position indicated in Fig. 1, the tie-bar g is moved pivotally out of the way, and the hand-crank c is applied to the shaft 0. Then the belt, having been secured to the pulley f by the clamp 70, may be wound onto the said pulley.

The movement of the belt ti ghtener or guide from its full-line position into its dotted-line position (indicated in Fig. 1) also affords means for readily tightening and loosening the driving-belt.

It will of course be understood that the device above described is capable of considerable modification within the scope of my invention.

What I claim, and desire to secure by Let ters Patent of the United States, is as follows:

1. The combination with a supportingbracket, of a telescopically-adjustable guidepulley mounted thereon, and a pair of laterally-spaced guide-rollers adjustable toward and from each other, whereby the device is applicable to belts of different widths, substantially as described.

2. The combination with a guide-pulley or belt-tightener, ot' a pair of laterally-spaced guide-rollers engageable with the edges of the belt and a transversely-extended tie-bar extending from one to the other of said guiderollers and movable into and out of an operative position,whereby said guide-pulley may be used as a reel.

3. The combination with the U -shaped bracket or yoke, of the guide or tightening pulley mounted between the prongs of said bracket, guide rollers mounted on said bracket for engagement with the edges of the belt, and the tie-bar pivoted to one prong of said bracket and detachably seourable to the other prong at its free end, substantially as described. 1

4. The combination with a pulley or drum of the clamping-bracket 7.0 having the slot and adjustably secured on the said pulley by the stud k and thumb-nut 72 substantially as and for the purposes set forth.

5. The combination with a threshing-machine, of the yoke or frame a pivoted at b and provided with the stop-leg a, the book an pivoted to said bracket (0 and engageable with the eye m, and three cooperating guide pulleys or rollers f, g, mounted on said bracket a, substantially as described.

6. The combination with the cylinder-pulley of a threshing-machine or separator and a cooperating driving-belt driven from a distant point, of a belt tightener and guide comprising a main or tightening pulley applied in the vicinity of said cylinder-pulley, and a pair of cooperating laterally-spaced guide wheels or rollers mounted one at each end of said guide-pulley, substantially as described.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

CHARLES H. REMIOK.

Witnesses:

AXEL NELSON, B. A. MoGREw.

IIO 

